Data storage diskettes have been employed for decades in computer systems. Data storage diskettes are also known as floppy disks. These floppy disks permit information to be written to the disk, and information to be read from the disk, in such a manner that floppy disks have become a widely popular storage medium in computer systems.
With the above in mind, a data storage diskette generally consists of an outer shell or housing maintaining a media disk. The media disk is a flexible sheet of polyester film or the like having a magnetic layer coated on at least one side. The housing normally includes a separate cover and a separate base. Together, the cover and the base each form openings, or media access windows, at a forward portion of the housing. The media access windows facilitate access to the media disk by a read/write head when the data storage diskette is inserted into a floppy disk drive. The disk drive spins the media disk for selective access by the read/write head to data tracks on the media disk. To this end, a hub is centered on the media disk and projects through a central aperture of the housing to enable the disk drive to couple with the media disk. In addition, a movable shutter is coupled to the housing and covers the media access windows. The shutter is typically biased to a closed position to protect the media disk from exposure to the elements. The movable shutter can be slid to an open position to permit access to the media disk by the read/write head of the floppy disk drive.
During use, information is read from, or written to, the magnetic layer on the media disk by the read/write head. In particular, the floppy disk drive couples to the hub on the media disk and spins the media disk for selective access to various tracks along the circumference of the media disk (i.e., data tracks). The read/write head traverses with the media disk to magnetically read (or write) information from (or to) the media disk. In this regard, the media disk is a repository for storing user-selected information. In this manner, the non-volatile storage of information on the media disk can be retained for many years. With the above in mind, most data storage diskette users have a desire to place written information on the diskette housing to readily identify the data stored on the media disk, thus facilitating future reference to the stored data.
Many prior art diskette housings are black to block light transmission so that optical sensors in the disk drives can sense the presence of the inserted diskettes. Black diskette housings do not permit writing deposited directly onto the housing to be visible. With the advent of mechanical disk drive sensors, recent prior art diskette housings are offered in any of a variety of colors, as the mechanical sensors are indifferent to the housings' ability to block light transmission. However, even these colored diskette housings are ill suited for the direct placement of writing onto their surfaces as the writing can smear, or worse, rub off.
With the above description in mind, paper labels are typically employed to identify a diskette (i.e., label the diskette). The paper label normally has an adhesive coating on one side, for example, on a backside, such that the paper label can be pasted to the housing exterior. The adhesive paper label is often delivered on a release liner as a separate item apart from the diskette. In this manner, the separate paper labels can be included with the data storage diskette, or more likely, within a box or other packaging containing multiple data storage diskettes. With this in mind, a user of the prior art data storage diskettes labels an individual diskette by first writing information onto the paper label, removing the paper label from the release liner, and finally affixing the adhesive side of the paper label to an exterior surface of the data storage diskette housing.
Labels for data storage diskettes have a number of drawbacks. For example, during application of the paper label, the label can become creased, thus forming a ridge in the paper label. The crease (or ridge) in the paper label can interfere with the disk drive during a read/write operation. In addition, affixing the paper label to the diskette housing necessitates an accurate placement of the label. For example, the label must be placed on the data storage diskette housing such that it does not interfere with the hub projecting through the central aperture of the housing. Moreover, inaccurate or ineffective placement of the paper label on the diskette housing can result in the label falling off, thus failing to identify the information stored on the media disk. Furthermore, each adhesive label has a measurable cost that contributes to an increase in the unit cost of each data storage diskette or multiple diskette package.
Data storage diskettes continue to be popular data storage devices for transferring information between computer systems. Data storage diskettes are capable of containing vast volumes of information stored in a durable and retrievable manner. To effectuate retrieval of the stored information, labeling of the diskette should be durable and cost efficient. With this in mind, a need exists for an effective, durable and cost efficient manner of labeling the information contained in a data storage diskette.